re: #190 ObserverArt

The classic Ronny Reagan “L-word” all growed up.

By the way, with a handle like Political Atheist, aren’t you by default in the middle yourself?

The middle is a big area in today’s politics…inhabited by a whole hell of a lot of people that do care and also becomes the area for those that are not keen on either party. I think it is a direct result of what some of you are talking about, things like the bastardization of terms like liberal and conservative. Nobody realistic wants to be on those fringes…so hello middle.

And, never underestimate the amount of attention that is given by the media to the crazies because they make quick easy stories and take nothing to explain as far as why someone ends up in the middle. Good TV, not good for politics. Chuck Todd-like mush-headed “it’s not up to us” does nothing for the middle except put and keep more there.

Thank you for that post. I almost went with party atheist but hey I like to party with my friends by the pool. :-) So yeah in general terms I am in the middle somewhere far from the extremes. In personal conduct I’m pretty conservative in big ways. How I run our finances, how I treat my long marriage. Pro Second Amendment as an individual right. I’m liberal in social policy. Gay marriage, marijuana use, how to regard other cultures.

Yup, as I tried to point out above, this is spectacle not substance. Frankly I’m sick of msm spectacle and starved for msm substance. I’m fed up with having to swim hyperbole muddied waters to point out the P.A. needs to be ended. Sunsetted as promised. Show the world this is not our Forever war.

At some point we will regain the confidence that we can thrive despite terrorists. Remember that we are in fact able to counter terror without the temporary and extraordinary measures adopted when we reared a weekly 9/11. Start to turn away from using Patriot Act provisos for the ill advised and run war on drugs. Start to think real warrants in open court can get the job done. Secret courts are a bad thing for democracies.

All that having been said, that rally is a freak show and a disgrace to sensible policy discussion.